Requiem for the Lost
by Crystal Dragon's Lament
Summary: After the ordeal with Iblis and Mephiles, Silver returns to his own time, still in mourning of Blaze. However, she did not perish. Now she too returns to her own time. Only, her home is not as she remembered; and neither is Silver. Silver/Blaze
1. Chapter 1

_Title: _Requiem for the Lost

_Rating:_ T

_Genre: _Romance

_Summary:_ After the ordeal with Iblis and Mephiles, Silver returns to his own time, still in mourning of Blaze. However, she did not perish. Now she too returns to her own time. Only, her home is not as she remembered; and neither is Silver.

_A/N:_ Wohoo! Finally finished the first chapter of this fic. The idea's been running around my head for a while now, I just never got around to writing. Then coming up with a title was a real bitch…(grumbles under breath, uttering a curse hear and there) Anyways!... Read and enjoy (and review ^^) Oh btw, there is Shadow/Amy here as well as the obvious Silver/Blaze.

_Chapter One_

The sun set on the horizon, casting the world in a golden hue. Lazy clouds with pink bellies floated in the sky, occasionally passing in front of the setting sun. In the nearby woods birds were setting down to roost for the night.

Silver stood on the beach alone, watching the sunset. He had accomplished what he had come back to the past to do. He had stopped Mephiles and uncovered the truth about the Iblis Trigger and had saved his future. Though what it had cost him still made him shudder.

When he had come to the past, he had left with his friend, Blaze the Cat. But now…now she was no longer with him. She had given her life to defeat Iblis. Silver had pleaded with her not to go, that he should be the one to make the sacrifice, but she had refused and now he was alone again…

Why? Why had she left him alone? It was _her_ fault he was alone again. She had broken her promise. She had promised him he would never be alone again. So why?!

Overhead a nightingale called and snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked up to find the songbird winging into the sunset. The sunset reminded him of fire. Blaze…

"_No,"_ he corrected himself. It wasn't her fault and he had been wrong to blame her. It wasn't anyone's fault. She had given her life to protect his and it would be an insult to her memory for him to try and blame anyone, even himself. That would be cheapening her sacrifice. Wiping a stray tear from his eye, he smiled at the sunset. Blaze always enjoyed the sunset.

Footsteps approached from behind and he turned to see Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Shadow, Rouge, Omega, Amy and Elise walking towards him. They had all come to see him off.

"Hey Silver!" Sonic called from a slight ways off.

"Sonic." Silver nodded to him when he arrived.

Amy seemed concerned about Silver. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," he smiled. And it was true. He had accepted Blaze's death. Of course it still hurt. It would always hurt. He would also always grieve for her, but he wasn't depressed or angry…not anymore. He knew now that he would be fine.

"So you're leaving now?" Elise asked

"Yes, Princess," Silver replied, turning back to the beach and the sky, which had now darkened further as the sun continued to set. "I came here to stop my future from being destroyed. I have accomplished that and it is now time for me to return home."

"We'll miss you," Amy said.

He turned to her and smiled again. "And I'll miss you."

Using the white chaos emerald Shadow opened a rift in time for Silver, leading back to his own time.

"Goodbye Silver!" Amy called. Everyone except Shadow and Omega added their own goodbyes. They knew they would likely see him again.

Silver looked at everyone a moment before holding out his hand to Sonic, who clasped it in his own. "Thank you for everything Sonic."

"No problem," he replied with a smile. "If you ever need anything we'll be willing to help." Silver nodded to him.

He turned to the portal and was about to enter when he heard someone running towards him. He turned around in time to see Amy fling herself onto him in a hug. After a shocked moment he hugged her back, thankful for the friendly gesture.

"Goodbye, Amy," he said to her. "And thank you." Shadow twitched in the background and Rouge smirked at him. Amy stepped back, sad to see Silver leaving.

Waving goodbye, Silver stepped into the portal, back to his own time.

~oOo~

Nothing moved in the darkness and nothing had since she had arrived. Not that Blaze would know. She hadn't been conscious for her stay here. The Chaos Emeralds had seen to that.

When she had used the chaos emeralds to seal Iblis inside of herself and place them both within another dimension they had sapped most of her life force. In order to keep her alive the emeralds had put her to sleep, removed Iblis while in a dead universe and sent her to another world to recuperate. They would never kill a willing sacrifice.

But now she had recovered and it was time for her to return to her own time…

~oOo~

_Rubble littered the ground and fire burned in the sky. That sight was the normal. It was what everyone who still lived had been born to; chaos. It was all they had ever known and all they would ever know. Sure, a couple different people tried to fight the harbinger of chaos but most of them never came back alive. That didn't stop them though. If there was even the slightest hope that they could take back their world, they would grab for it. But in the end, all they ever seemed to grab was thin air and death._

_Blaze had grown up in this world and was one of those who tried to fight. She knew that whatever the outcome, she had next to no hope of wining. The fact that she was alone had never bothered her either. She managed just fine._

_She wandered the ruins of Crisis City, searching for signs of Iblis. He was a giant creature of flame and rock that smelled of brimstone but he hid himself and appeared at random points throughout the city to cause more havoc. As Blaze walked, she saw a flash of silver out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and looked to the side to where whatever it was that had run to hide._

_Peering around a rather large boulder, she saw a young silver hedgehog huddling alone. He was filthy… his fur smudged with dirt and matted in some places. But his yellow eyes stayed determined._

_When he laid eyes on the purple cat he flinched and yelped. Motioning with one hand, a nearby piece of small rubble began to float in the air close to the young boy. His hand remained poised as if ready throw the piece of rubble at her, though he wasn't even physically holding it._

'Psychokenisis,'_ she thought. '_Interesting.'

"_It's alright," she said to him softly. She bent down so her yellow eyes were level with his yellow ones. "I'm not going to hurt you."_

_The boy hesitated for a moment then asked, "Really?"_

"_Really," she replied, holding up a hand in a pacifying gesture._

_After a moment he released the rubble, which fell to the ground with a thud. "What's your name?" Blaze asked._

"_Silver the Hedgehog," he replied._

"_Where's your family Silver?"_

"_Mom and Dad died a while ago," he mumbled. "I've been alone since then."_

_Blaze hesitated. She hadn't expected that. She knew what it was like to be alone, and while she could handle it well, not everyone could._

"_Aren't you scared?"_

"_It's scary to be alone," he admitted. "I wish I wasn't alone." He looked away but Blaze saw the tears forming in his now sad eyes._

_Standing up, Blaze gazed at the burning sky. This child was alone and scared. He reminded her a lot of herself when she was that age though she was only about four years older than the boy. The fact that he had managed thus far was something of a miracle. Most children that were by themselves at this age didn't last._

_She glanced over at the building beside them, a large structure that looked like it used to house a business at one point in the distant past, maybe even a broadcasting studio. Then she looked back down at the boy. He had brought his knees up to his chest and had his arms around them, staring off into the distance._

"_I have an idea," she said. Silver looked up at her, confusion evident on his face. "Why don't you come with me?" she suggested. "Then you won't be by yourself anymore."_

_It took a short moment for this to sink in. Would travelling with this strange girl be a wise choice? Should he learn more about her own past before trusting her? Coming to a decision, Silver's face suddenly lit up._

"_Really? You mean it?" he asked._

"_Really," she assured him with a warm smile._

"_And you won't leave me?"_

"_I promise you, Silver. I won't leave you. You won't have to be alone ever again." _

_Silver was almost crying with happiness now. He had been on his own for so long he had given up hope that it would ever change. Now here he was, with someone he hardly knew offering him their hand, promising to be there for him and that he wouldn't be alone._

_She stood before him, holding out her hand. "My name is Blaze the Cat," she said. Silver smiled and placed his small hand in hers._

~oOo~

When Blaze awoke, her dream forgotten, the first thing she remembered was Iblis. She sat upright and found herself in a bed. This wasn't right. The last thing she remembered was…dying.

That's right. She had supposedly died after using the Chaos Emeralds while sacrificing herself to seal Iblis within her body and save the world. Silver had tried to do it himself but…

Silver. Was he alright? Had he survived the confrontation in the past? Where was he? _When_ was he? For that matter, when and where was she? Blaze knew this was not where she lived…everything was so confusing.

"Oh, you're awake. Good, good." Blaze looked up to see a kind looking old lady enter the room. "How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Fine," Blaze replied after a moment. "Confused, but fine."

"Confused? Have you lost your memory?"

"No, my memory is intact," she reassured her. "I just don't know where I am."

"Oh, I see," the woman smiled. "Well, this is my house," she explained. "My name is May. I was on my way home from the park when I heard something behind me. I turned around and saw you lying on the ground. Thankfully we were right outside my house so I brought you in."

Well, _that _answered a couple questions but still left some unanswered. She still did not know how she had gotten to this place from the battlefield with Iblis, where she was, or how she was alive. She also still knew nothing of Silver.

"Oh, yes. You were holding this." Blaze looked over and saw May holding the Topaz chaos emerald. "I don't know if this helps anything." Standing, Blaze walked over to May who handed her the emerald.

When Blaze touched the chaos emerald she knew what had happened. She did not know how she knew, she just did. Silver, Sonic and the others had succeeded in stopping Solaris and their time had been saved. The chaos emeralds had sapped most of her life force and then sent her back to recover. Now she had returned to her own time. And so did Silver.

Blaze almost sobbed with relief. The elderly woman put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Blaze replied softly. "Yes, everything is fine." She turned to May and took her hands in her own. "Thank you for your hospitality May."

Looking slightly confused, she nodded. "You're welcome."

"I'm sorry but I must go now." Blaze turned to the door.

"Wait!" May called after her. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm sure," Blaze called back from the door. "Thank you again." She then left the house and beheld her new world.

The sky was blue and the buildings of the city all stood. No rubble littered the ground and birds flew though the air. People bustled about the street and sidewalks, bringing the city to life. Their time had indeed been saved. Now, to look for Silver.

Unfortunately she had no idea where he would be. It had changed so much that almost none of Silver's most frequented spots remained. Well, she wouldn't get anything done just standing here, so she decided to check the few places that remained.

She searched around for several houses but to no avail. She had tried all the places that sill remained as well as a couple that had changed. She checked the tops of tall building and the open sky, where he often enjoyed flying and still…nothing.

Feeling defeated, Blaze wandered over to the beach. This was one of their favorite spots to stop and relax. Well, relax as much as you could in Crisis City. She doubted he would be here now. Sitting down the stone steps she sighed. Where could that hedgehog be?

Then out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of silver. She turned quickly, yellow eyes searching. There! She had seen silver fur disappear behind a nearby building; the broadcasting studio where she had first found him. As she turned the corner she saw him standing by himself, facing away from her.

"Silver," she called as she walked towards him. He turned to her, a slightly confused expression on his face. Other than that he had no reaction.

This stunned Blaze. She had expected him to jump up and down or weep with joy, but instead she got nothing.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "But… do I know you?"


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N:_ Yay! Chapter two is done! The main reason why this one is so late in coming is that I (once again) lost my breakdown/notes. But I found them again! Perhaps I should clean my room more often…O.o

_Chapter Two_

It took Blaze a moment to fully comprehend what Silver had just said, but when she did, it felt like someone had just ripped the ground out from under her. She could barely believe what she'd just heard. How could Silver not remember her, especially after what they had been through together?

"W-what do you mean?" She stammered. "Silver, i-it's me, Blaze."

"I'm sorry," he said, taking a step back. The look on his face was skeptical, almost suspicious. "I haven't seen you around before."

"How can you say that?" Blaze blurted, desperation and fear colouring her voice. "We met right here years ago when Iblis still terrorized this city."

"I have no idea what an 'Iblis' is," he stated.

"Silver..." Blaze took a step towards the young hedgehog, reaching a hand out as if to touch his face.

"Back off, lady," he said defensively. "I don't know what your deal is, but I've never seen you before in my life. Now, if you'll excuse me," he said, turning away, "I have somewhere else to be."

Blaze watched him go with a detached sensation. She knew this was happening, but it didn't feel real. It felt like she was watching the whole thing from somewhere else; like she was a spectator in her own body. How could this be happening? Could she be in the wrong reality? If time travel was possible, then surely there must be different realities as well. But no, the Chaos Emeralds would not have sent her to anywhere besides her own world. What exactly happened?

Without thinking, she began to wander around what was once Crisis City. The city was barely recognizable from the burning wasteland she once knew. No buildings lay crumbling; no fires blazed in the wilted gardens of burning town houses and no feral animals running through the cracked streets. Instead, glass buildings stood tall, gleaming in the sun; flowers of all the colours of the rainbow flourished in neatly kept homes and she could see children played in the streets while parents talked, keeping a close eye on their young.

The purple feline was immune to all of it, walking in a daze, nothing fully registering. Eventually she found herself in a residential area she was not familiar with. The city must have expanded beyond the borders she knew when the city had been in ruins. The houses around her were of a post-modern style; very large with lots of glass and hover cars in each drive way.

"Excuse me?" someone called to her from behind. She turned around quickly. The voice sounded familiar and Blaze hoped beyond hope that someone here still knew her.

A young female cougar around her age jogged up to her, holding a sheet of paper in her hands. Blaze knew her from before she had gone back in time. Her name was Mythra and had been a friend of hers. They had worked together on several occasions to try and put an end to Iblis. She was kind and spunky with an outrageously optimistic outlook on life. Seeing another familiar face, this one seemingly relieved to see her, flooded her with relief.

Mythra reached Blaze and paused, catching her breath. Before Blaze could say anything Mythra cut in. "I'm sorry to bother you, but do you know where 326 Linkwood Road is?" When Blaze looked closer at her face she saw no hint of recognition in her orange eyes. To her, Blaze was just a passerby who may know her way around this part of town better then she did.

Blaze felt herself slip back into a daze as she mumbled a soft no and Mythra just shrugged and continued on her way. When she saw Mythra approaching her, she had hoped that Silver's absent memory was just an isolated incident. Seeing her former friend like this though confirmed it… she was alone once again.

She had thought, after all those years she had spent alone in Crisis City, she would be immune to this loneliness, but something had changed. She didn't know exactly when it had happened or why but she had become used to having people around her and had eventually come to rely on them.

Once again her feet began to carry her throughout the city. Slowly, without much thought, she passed by the places that had once meant so much to her. Eventually she found herself on the beach. It was the same beach where she had found Silver again in the past and where they had retreated to after their first battle with Iblis together.

Finding a concrete ledge separating the sidewalk and the sand, Blaze sat down and watched the waves slowly lap at the sand and retreat back in to the vast ocean. Gulls circled slowly and couples walked along the waters edge while children played. Blaze watched it all without really seeing.

She had never realized before this how close she had grown to Silver. Sure, they had been apart before but she always knew she would see him again soon. When they fought Iblis or went into any battle, there was always the possibility one of them wouldn't return, but it had never seemed real. They had always pulled through in the end, so why wouldn't they this time? Of course it was dangerous, but they were there for each other, watching the others back to make sure they were safe. Now there was no such assurance. This time Silver wasn't with her and she didn't know how to proceed. At first they were just a team, but now that had changed. Now it was hard for her to think of her life without him. Whenever she thought back the memories that stuck out most were those she shared with Silver.

Silver was lost to her.

Blaze looked around the now dark beach and was flooded with memories she had shared with Silver at the same spot. That's when it hit her; a way to possibly restore Silver's lost memory! If her theory was right, then the Silver that was in this city now was the same Silver she knew and had gone back in time with and his memories were still there, just forgotten. When he had returned to this time, he had immediately been reset – for lack of a better word – and it was like he had been living in this city the whole time, like he had never gone back in time. However, since he was in the past at the time the future had been changed and hadn't changed around him, he was immune to some of its effects and he still physically had the memories of his past life. The Chaos Emeralds had protected her from all of the time changes effects so she could still remember everything. As for Silver, all she had to do was remind him.

Standing up, Blaze looked around the beach. She figured the best way to remind Silver of the past would be to bring him to places that had once been special to them or where important things had happened. There were several places around the city as well as outside of it that would work perfectly. She smiled as hope once again to warm her. Now she just had to find the stubborn hedgehog.

That was where her problems truly began; she had no idea where to find him. She could probably spend days wandering around this city and still not run into him. As she wandered through the streets now illuminated by floating electronic lamps that activated as she approached, she thought of how she might be able to find Silver. It would probably be best to stay in a popular sector of town, maybe even ask around and see if anyone knew him.

Yawning, she realized she had been up for hours and had no place to stay. That could be a problem. After thinking for a moment she decided she would go and see if that woman May, who had found her earlier, would mind her imposing upon her yet again.

It didn't take long to return to her house, but when she did, she realized something was a little off. As she walked up the sidewalk, the lights failed to turn on and none of the houses' windows were illuminated. Walking up the steps of May's porch, she tapped softly on the door. A moment later, a slightly disheveled May opened the door.

"Oh, goodness," she said with some relief. "Welcome back, Blaze."

"I hate to impose," Blaze began before May cut her off.

"Don't feel like you are imposing my dear," she said. "You are welcome here whenever you like." Her face split into a grin as ushered Blaze inside the dark house.

"Why are all the lights off?" Blaze asked.

"Unfortunately there is a problem with the power in this area," May sighed, drawing the shawl she was wearing closer around herself. "They say it should be back on soon but it's starting to get a tad nippy in here."

Blaze thought for a moment before speaking. "Do you have a fireplace?" she asked.

"I do, actually." She led the way into the living room where an antique fireplace was built into the wall. "Unfortunately I don't have any wood and even if I did, I don't have anything to light it with."

"I can help with that." Blaze went and knelt in front of the fireplace. She removed the grate and swept away the few ashes that were lying on the metal bottom. Cupping her hands on the cold steel, she summoned the fire that was hers to command. It immediately burned to life in her hands, warming her but not hurting. She heard May let out a small gasp in the background. Spreading her hands, Blaze placed the growing fire on the bottom of the fireplace and closed the grate.

"That fire will stay lit until I will it to go out," she explained to May. "The fire will not hurt me but to anyone else it is like any flame."

May stared at her in wonder for a moment before smiling again. "You are truly unique. And I thank you for this. Not only do we have warmth, but light as well." Moving across the room to a comfy looking easy chair she sat down and motioned for Blaze to sit down wherever she pleased. "You can sleep in the same room tonight but if you want we can sit here and talk for a bit."

Blaze smiled at the kind old woman and sat down. She would look for Silver in the morning.

~oOo~

Blaze left May's house early the next morning to look for Silver. As she planned, she headed to a busy part of town and began wandering around. She looked in shops and cafés, asking people here and there if they had seen a silver hedgehog around; no one had. She spent several hours checking everywhere she could think of.

At around noon, Blaze stopped for lunch, though it was not a happy occasion. She had spent hours asking around and not a single person had information on Silver. As she ordered her food from a café she realized she hadn't been in here yet. It was just a hole in the wall really, but it was called Crisis Café and reminded her time in Crisis City. Looking up at the cashier, she decided to ask him about Silver, on the off chance he might know something.

"Have you ever seen a silver hedgehog around here?" she asked the man who had just finished taking her order. He looked up and paused for a second. "He's about fourteen years old with five spikes on his head, two in the back and yellow eyes."

"Oh, him," the cashier said, recognition dawning in his eyes. Blaze's heart leapt. "Yeah, he's a regular here."

"When does he come by?" Blaze asked, a little too quickly then was probably necessary.

"Right around now, actually," he replied looking at his watch. Blaze's spirit soared as she grabbed her food and dashed out the door. She finally found him. When she was outside the café she leaned on a wall and waited for Silver's arrival. It didn't matter if he refused; he was going with her either way. She didn't have to wait long to find out which it would be.

About five minutes later, Silver walked up the street towards the café. When he saw Blaze push herself off the wall and turn to face him, he paused. "Hello, Silver," she said, walking up to him.

"You again?" Silver sighed. "What do you want this time?"

"I want to remind you of your past," she stated simply.

"I already know of my past," he explained, talking slowly.

Blaze shook her head. "Not the past you think you remember," she said. "There is another past you have forgotten; one we shared. I think I know how to remind you of it." Her eyes were determined and burrowed into Silver's.

He met her gaze for a while before finally looking away with a sigh. "Look," he began. "I don't—".He was cut off as Blaze grabbed his wrist and started walking. "What the..? What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I'm going to show you around town," she replied.

"I already know my way around town!"

"Not this town," she said, finally stopping and turning back to him. "Crisis City."

Something seemed to flash behind Silver's eyes, but it was gone almost immediately. "And that would be?" he asked.

Blaze smiled at him before continuing to drag him along. "You'll remember."


End file.
